New automotive gross sales in March rose 12.4% to 357,103 items, the most effective March efficiency since 2019.
Fleet registrations rose 11.5% and there was additionally a restoration in non-public purchaser uptake following final 12 months’s lacklustre efficiency, with a 14.5% rise in registrations. enterprise gross sales have been flat (-(-0.3%).
All kinds of electrified autos recorded progress within the month, with hybrid electrical autos (HEVs) up 27.7%, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) up 37.9%, and battery electrical autos (BEVs) up 43.2% as producers incentivised uptake with important discounting.
Because of this, March turned the biggest month ever for registrations of electrical vehicles. Some 69,313 new BEVs reached the street.
Whereas EV market share improved considerably on March 2024, at 19.4% it stays greater than eight proportion factors behind targets set by the ZEV Mandate.
Gross sales of BEVs have been additionally pulled ahead by customers shopping for in March forward of the VED Costly Automotive Complement , which got here into impact on 1 April.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief govt, stated, “A welcome return to progress, and substantial progress at that, is a fillip for the trade.
“Furthermore, with March being the most effective month ever for electrical automotive registrations, there’s cause for optimism.
“Producers stay dedicated to the market decarbonisation the nation and the atmosphere calls for, however we’d like sustained progress, not a short-term bubble pushed by unsustainable producer discounting and drivers dashing to beat a tax hike.
“With out substantive authorities assist for customers, the present regulatory regime is undeliverable.
“A rapid response to the government consultation is therefore needed – one that adds flexibilities that reflect the natural level of demand and supports the industry to deliver growth in the face of a tough set of global challenges.”
